Happy Birthday, Ranma
by ranma5487
Summary: Akane has a little birthday surprise in store for Ranma. Just a sweet little romance.


I wanted to write a romance-y story, and it was my birthday... and I like Ranma and Akane as a couple, so here ya go. (fluffy romance warning)   
  
  
  
  
Happy Birthday, Ranma.  
  
  
  
Akane smiled brightly, moving around the house speedily. Today was Ranma's birthday, and she was planning to do something very special for him. Tonight would be the night that she would finally confess her true feelings to the stubborn, cute, stupid, arrogant, cute, forced fiancee of hers. She was beginning to feel less and less like it was forced, however, and more like that she had actually won some magnificent prize when her sisters chose her to be the one out of them to marry this sometimes female boy.   
  
"Ah, but he's not really a boy..." Akane muttered, carrying out a vast conversation to herself in her thoughts. 'He's my fiancee... Mine.. I'm really starting to love how that sounds... *My* fiancee...' She thought. As she moved around the house, hanging up brightly colored streamers and all manner of other decorations, she grinned widely once again, amazed at her Nabiki-like handling of the manner in which she got everyone out of the house. It was *almost* a job worthy of Nabiki, except that Akane had needed to pay said sister to keep her out of the way. Not much ever made it past the most resourceful Tendou daughter, but for the right price, she'd happily sit on any information, and luckily, Akane was able to pay that right price. Nabiki had simply gone out after collecting her not-so-small payment, the rest of the crew was handled by playing on their weaknesses. Kasumi was easy, her weakness was her family, so Akane plainly told Kasumi that a special evening was being planned for Ranma. Kasumi understood fully, this understanding was helped along by the fact that Akane had first confided in her motherly older sister.  
  
"Kasumi... I need to talk with you, and I need it to be private. Can I come in?" Akane said, standing at the open door to her sister's room.  
  
"Sure, Akane. I'd be more than happy to talk with you, come in and sit down, please." Kasumi replied, a cheery smile settled on her face as always. Little did Kasumi know that she was going to be the sole person that Akane would confide in about her feelings toward a certain Jusenkyo-cursed male residing in the house.  
  
As Akane came into the brightly decorated room, she shut the door. Continuing on to sit on the bed next to her sister, Akane blurted out the subject of this needed talk. "I think... That I love Ranma."  
  
Kasumi's eyes went wide, and she uttered an all too familiar phrase. "Oh my..." Kasumi then composed herself, through some unknown facet of their family's martial arts style, most likely "Anything Goes Maternal Parenting" taught by the none other than the girl's mother. She spoke up once again, with all the sweetness and understanding that her role in the household demanded. "Akane... Sis... That's wonderful. Have you given any thought to when you'll tell Ranma this?"  
  
"Actually.. heh..." Akane said, laughing nervously, "I was thinking maybe... on his birthday. It is coming up, you know. I wouldn't even consider it, if I didn't think Ranma felt... at least something for me. Have you noticed the way he smiles at me, when he thinks I'm not watching?"  
  
Kasumi giggled, then broke the news to Akane as soft as she could manage. "Akane, I'm fairly sure the only people who don't notice the little glances and smiles, are you and Ranma. Perhaps you've both been so shy about feeling that way for one another, that you missed the clues right in front of you."  
  
"Oh... my.." Akane said, feeling a wave of warmth ripple across her face. 'How very predictable... The oblivious couple, so in love that they don't even notice it.', Akane thought.  
  
"Yes... At least you know now, hmm? I have a feeling your birthday plan will be very successful. Please, tell me if you need any help clearing out the house." Kasumi said.  
  
"I will, Sis. Thanks." Akane replied, face still flushed red as she lightly hugged her older sister.  
  
That'd only been two weeks before Ranma's birthday. In those two weeks that followed, Akane caught herself many times, blushing at Ranma's adorable shyness, laughing at his less-than-funny jokes, and smiling softly, staring at him. Of course, each of these occurrences ended in some conflict, and a one way trip to mallet city, population: Ranma. Akane always resolved to put an end to these little fights, but as quickly as she could be floored by the feelings of love she had for Ranma, she could also be driven to fiery anger by his harsh words. Akane resolved to try to bring her temper under control, and not let things escalate to the point where Ranma himself became escalated into the air, and most often through the roof. Literally.   
  
With her sisters safely out of the picture, Nabiki through money and Kasumi through her wish that the two would be together, Akane went to work on the fathers. Genma was rather easy to send running, a simple false mention of "Aunt Saotome's" impending visit sent the panda-man into immediate training trip mode. Being the father he was, Genma had cleared three miles before Akane had hardly finished, with no sign of Ranma following. Akane's own father was a bit more difficult, although she pulled this feat off with a little help from her older sister. It seemed a certain long-lost relative of the family was in grave trouble, and only Soun could save them from their fate. This relative was, of course, Kasumi. She'd disguised her voice on the phone, possibly the sneakiest thing that the innocent sister had ever undertaken. At any rate, it would take Soun much more than the evening of Ranma's birthday to make the trip to this distant relative's location and back.   
  
"It was all a trick, Father." Akane planned to say upon one disgruntled patriarch's return, "One of Ranma's rivals hoped to lure you out of the house, unfortunately it was Ryouga, so he was nowhere near here when you left." Tired as he would be, Akane hoped that her father would simply accept this and go to bed. If she had to deal with it more later, so be it.  
  
Ranma would be coming home from his own certain 'training trip', any time now. Akane had sent him out to fetch a few certain things from the market, not realizing she would fail in getting Ranma to actually supply her with ingredients of culinary warfare. Luckily, Kasumi stepped in once again, and told Ranma that she would be making a very special birthday dinner for him, but the ingredients she needed could only come from a market on the far side of town. Ranma frowned pathetically, but for Kasumi's cooking, no market was too far. Her recollection of the day's events completed, Akane resumed her decorating. The kitchen and living room were very nicely arrayed with an assortment of red balloons, streamers, and a bright blue banner that read 'Happy Birthday Ranma'. This was only the beginning of Akane's plans, however, as after Ranma had opened the present to him from Akane, the real celebration would begin. This was how Akane wanted it to go, and with that extra sum she'd tucked into Nabiki's payment with the note 'No Trouble.', that's how she expected it. Quiet, with no crazed fiancees crashing through the walls, or insane martial artists, shouting even more insane challenges. Ranma's present from her consisted solely of a picture of the two of them, in a rare moment where they'd dropped their shields of pride and built up anger. Ranma was consoling Akane gently, and he had her wrapped in an embrace that seemed almost too caring and loving to actually have happened with the way they were to each other. Under the picture, Ranma would find a handwritten note.  
  
"Dear Ranma, I'm not going to take the chance that these words would be interrupted, so I've committed them to paper." The letter began. Ironically, this was the third draft. Mysterious as it was, the first time Akane finished the letter, it vanished. The second time, she'd written it at school, in secret. A sudden downpour would be the doom of that copy, as Akane's secret outdoors hiding spot became drenched in rain, rendering the words unreadable. This third copy was protected as if the letters had been inscribed in pure gold. It rested safely inside Ranma's wrapped package now, protected until Ranma would open it.   
  
The letter continued, "Ranma, I've come to realize something that could have very serious consequences for both of us. I believe very much that I am in love with you. Perhaps it has been building since I first met you, perhaps it's something that I just now feel. Regardless, I love you, Ranma Saotome. It was hard admitting it to myself the first time, it would have been impossible to admit it to you, at least if I hadn't written this letter. I do notice how you look at me, how you smile... I do notice how you, in your own unique way, hint that there may be feelings like this for me under the surface, under where you're willing to explore in yourself. I was scared, Ranma. You know as well as I do that our crazy fathers will push us to get married, and I wish it weren't so. No one will be any wiser if we continue how we have for so long. This tomboy's heart belongs to you, Ranma Saotome, If you will have it." Akane signed the bottom of the letter, in a flowery calligraphy which certainly betrayed the tomboy image.  
  
Suddenly, Akane heard a gasp from behind her. It was Ranma. He'd finally returned from the store. Kasumi came out and grabbed up the groceries, disappearing into the kitchen to put them away, before vacating the house altogether. Ranma's mouth hung open, and many silent moments later, a few words came out. "Akane, you did this all?" He said.  
  
"Yes... Ranma. I did." Akane replied, setting aside the roll of blue streamer that she'd been running along the bottom of the red. "It is your birthday, after all. I had to do something."  
  
"Yeah, I was expectin' you guys ta' do something... Not this much though." Ranma said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.  
  
After a bit of hesitation, Akane confessed. "No one else is home, Ranma. It's just you and me, I wanted to have a little privacy." She handed the present she had so carefully prepared, to him. He opened the plain paper slowly, and his eyes shot open wide as he saw the picture inside.   
  
"Akane... It's a picture of us..." Ranma said, swallowing with increasing nervousness. "What's this?" He said, pulling at a piece of paper below the frame. Akane silently wished that the paper wouldn't tear, and her wish was granted as the paper slid smoothly from beneath the frame's weight.  
  
"It's a... it's another part of your present, Ranma." Akane said, leading him over to the couch. They both sat down, and Ranma began reading the letter. Occasionally, Akane would catch a few words being spoken softly. For the most part, Ranma read quietly. When he was finished, he laid the letter, along with the picture, beside himself. Akane opened her mouth to say something, but her words became interrupted by Ranma's gaze.  
  
"Akane... I have to tell you something before you say anything else. I.. um... well... what I'm trying to say is... Oh, man..." Ranma sighed, and looked down with a look that most would see as defeat. He was not about to give up, however, as he pulled out a pencil from his pocket, and flipped the note over. Ranma hid what he was writing, carefully, from Akane. It was only a short time later, before he folded the paper and handed it to her.  
  
Akane opened the paper, and sniffed, tears threatening to break the rough exterior of the so called tomboy. On the back, was written a simple phrase. "Akane, If *you* will have *me* is the question..." She looked up from the paper, and threw herself into his arms. "Of course, Ranma. Of course I'll have you, you big... silly.. guy..."   
  
Completely contrary to everything Ranma had previously believed, Akane loved him. At this very moment, he was holding her, and she was openly crying onto his shoulder. One of Ranma's hands lifted itself off of Akane's back, and found itself stroking across her silken strands of hair. "Akane... It's alright. I'm here. You're mine now, No one will ever take you from me." Ranma whispered to her, in more soothing of a voice than he thought himself capable of. That one hand continued its gentle motion, while the other made small circles along Akane's lower back.  
  
"You better mean that, Ranma..." Akane said, laughing with relief as she looked up at him. "I'd never be able to let you go now."  
  
"Of course I mean it." Ranma also smiled. He found himself much closer to Akane's face than he'd remembered, and watched as bright redness spread over the whole of Akane's face, feeling the same blush come over his. "A-Akane... If it's alright with you... I'm... I think I'm gonna kiss you now." Ranma said.  
  
"Ranma, If it's alright with you," Akane said, smiling shyly, "I'm going to let you." Their faces drew closer, until finally their lips met in a much-delayed kiss. Two soft arms wrapped around Ranma's midsection, much as two strong arms had been wrapped around Akane's. This kiss was one of pure love, filled with all the emotion that the two could manage. There would never be another kiss exactly like this one, although this relationship promised love beyond measure. The lovers finally parted, gazing into each others' eyes with an intensity that far surpassed any that words could have hoped to achieve.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Ranma." Akane said, before pulling him close, into another gentle kiss.  
  
Several more moments passed, while the two were kissing, finally Ranma pulled back, and spoke up. "Thanks.. Akane. You know how much trouble we just made for ourselves?" He said.  
  
Akane sighed. "Yeah, I do, Ranma... We really got ourselves into a mess with this, didn't we?"  
  
Ranma's reply was a soft nod. Idly, Ranma's hand brushed through Akane's hair, sweeping it behind her ears. Ranma blinked when he saw the cute silver earrings in Akane's ears, and smiled when he saw the small shiver that his touch produced. "All that can be dealt with later. Tonight is just for us, right?" Ranma said.  
  
"Right..." Akane said, sighing and leaning her head on his shoulder, like she'd done without thinking, so many times before. This time, however, she didn't have a feeling of sadness wash over her. Usually, she'd lay her head on her fiancee's shoulder, and immediately she'd just *know* that the next few minutes would follow a certain pattern. Step one, Ranma realizes Akane's head is on his shoulder. Step two, Ranma holds her there; This was the most enjoyable step, by far. Step three, Ranma continues holding her, and Akane loves it. Akane, however, also gets scared at the feelings she feels for Ranma, who is more often a 'jerk' in her eyes. She calls Ranma a pervert, Ranma insults her back, and *wham*. One ticket to the pond, via Mallet Airways. This time, however, Akane felt something different. Not fear at the warm, secure emotion, but happiness. She had almost always loved him. Perhaps not when he saw her naked, how dare he stare at her body that way. How dare he get that grin on his face like that. How dare he think she was gorgeous. It wasn't like she didn't look, however. Maybe he wasn't like she thought. She snuggled a little closer to him, cautiously putting her arms, one each, behind his neck, and around his chest, meeting them on his shoulder. "Just for us. I even got a little... Support keeping it that way." Akane said.  
  
Ranma laughed a little, that had sounded suspiciously like Akane had contracted the Japanese Mafia or something. In all reality, it was more than likely Nabiki though, Ranma thought. As he felt Akane's arms wrap around him, he moved the hand that had brushed her hair back, and drew a finger across the arm that was wrapped around his front. He could feel when Akane shivered again, this time a little more pronouncedly. The same smile as before found its way onto his face, as his arms found themselves wrapping around Akane's waist and shoulders. He pulled her close, and kissed her lightly, holding it only for a brief moment, before returning to his original position. "Thank you again, Akane. I know it must have took some planning to clear everyone out, probably a lot more to keep all the crazies away for a night." Ranma said.  
  
"I just wanted this to be perfect, Ranma. The little note would have most likely been destroyed by all the weapons that fly around you on a normal day.." Akane said this, giggling afterward. If Akane had any idea how much that giggle affected Ranma, she would do it much more often. As soon as Akane had giggled, Ranma's face lit up. He was like a child, seeing candy. Akane's laugh, her smile, her happiness, meant more to Ranma than anything else he knew.   
  
"Heh.. Yeah.." Ranma said, chuckling nervously. "Speakin' of things that happen around me... With me... There's still my 'sister' to deal with, Akane." Ranma's face turned red when he thought of his girl side, and all the possible problems. What if he got locked in his cursed form again?  
  
"Nothing to deal with, Ranma. I love her too." Akane said. Another smile, and a cute little giggle, as she scooted a bit closer to him. Shyly, she spoke up. "I know you're worried about your curse, and not being manly, and all that. It doesn't matter to me, Ranma." A moment or two of silence hung in the air, before Akane finished. "I know it's not like me to act so... Girly, either. I hope you're not too disappointed that your tomboy softens up a little in your arms."  
  
Not disappointed at all, Ranma thought. How could he be? It was wonderful that Akane was strong, a capable martial artist, skilled, and intelligent. Her sometimes tomboyish tendencies weren't anything he actually minded, that was just something to respond to her accusations with. She wasn't particularly un-cute either, he thought. People sure can say some mean things when they're angry. Ranma answered her, smiling. "Just as long as you don't mind that I soften up a lot underwater..." He grinned, "I think we'll be alright, Akane." Of course, she giggled lightly at this, blushing at how out of her 'character' she was acting.  
  
"Hey, how many girls can say their fiancees look good in a woman's one-piece, huh?" Akane grinned right back, nuzzling into his chest lovingly, her head moved downward from his shoulder, her arms repositioned to wrap around him lower, near his waist.   
  
"Not many, Akane.. Not many." Ranma smiled, and brought his hand down to stroke through her soft hair again. Akane's hair always was soft, Ranma thought. He never noticed her spending all that long caring for her hair, there was no reason he could see for it to be so soft. He didn't mind, really, it just didn't make sense to him. With all the things in his life that didn't make sense, he figured Akane's hair was pretty far down on mysteries to be solved. "You've got very soft hair, Akane... I really like it." Ranma said, continuing his gentle motions. He chuckled, the thought again flashing through his mind that someone would bust in any time now. "Hope no one breaks in on us like this... Although with us acting nice to each other, they might not even recognize us. Tell you what, I'll insult you if someone comes, ok? And you hit me with that mallet you seem to always have." Ranma said.  
  
"It's a deal." Akane said. "As long as you're just insulting me for their benefit... And I promise not to hit you too hard." Snuggled up as she was, Akane could smell the sweet scent on Ranma's shirt. 'Wait, Ranma doesn't wear perfume... Ranma, I can't believe you!', Akane thought. She was about to get very angry when she placed the fragrance. It was hers. More precisely, Kasumi's, but Akane knew she'd borrowed it. A soft blush intensified, and she hid her face in Ranma's chest. 'Oh, Ranma... Do I always get this jealous over you?' She thought. "I'm sorry..." Akane whispered, barely inside the range of audible speech.  
  
"Hmm?" Ranma muttered, continuing the loving strokes through Akane's hair.  
  
"I smelled perfume on you... And my mind immediately started thinking... things. I realized it was the perfume I borrowed from Kasumi for tonight, and..." She'd really done it now, spoiled their evening with jealousy.  
  
"Hey... It's ok, Akane. I admit I'm jealous over you sometimes." Ranma said. A little black piglet named 'P-chan' popped into his mind, but thoughts of the piggy bed-warmer were shoved aside. "It's just because we want the other only to ourselves, right?"  
  
"You're.. Right, Ranma. Of course." Akane smiled. In a way it was good that he got jealous for her too, she thought.  
  
Ranma knew the next question he had to ask. It wasn't going to be easy, but the time had come for him to finally start acting like a proper fiancee. The others would be taken care of in the following days. The most important girl would be taken care of right now. "Akane, do you want to marry me?" Ranma asked, very shaky in his speech.  
  
"Ranma, I don't really get a choice, we're engaged... You don't mean right now, do you?" Akane said.  
  
"Akane, you do have a choice. I need to know if you want to marry me. Forget our fathers, they just want an heir for the school. ...Do you want me to be your fiancee, and... eventually your husband?" Ranma said.  
  
It took a while for Akane to sort through her thoughts. There was no doubt she loved Ranma enough to marry him. Could she handle it though? If her father found out that they were in love, they'd be married the next day, expected to be making heirs that night. Akane had hardly pictured herself a pregnant wife at her age, she wasn't the traditional Japanese woman, she needed time to be herself. 'Ranma and I... We could keep our fathers at bay, right?', Akane thought. She decided yes, and responded to Ranma's question. "Ranma... I do want to be your fiancee, and I do want to marry you. If our fathers find out though... I need more than a day to go from friend to fiancee to lover to wife. Let's keep this a secret for just a little longer, school will be out soon."  
  
"You don't know how hard it's going to be for me to wait for you, Akane." Ranma said, kissing her cheek.  
  
"About as hard as it is going to be for me to pretend not to love you, Ranma. Our fathers would have a ceremony put together in five minutes if they found out, I want time to make this perfect." Akane said. The light touch of Ranma's lips upon her face sent tingling electric feelings throughout her entire body, leaving her wondering just how he managed to have that effect on her. "Ranma..." Akane said, "I know it's risky, but please... Tonight, stay with me. Your father's out of the country by now, I told him your mother was coming over, and my father's not due back until sometime tomorrow. I have to have my fiancee by my side tonight."  
  
"Alright, Akane... Tonight, after your sisters go to bed, I'll come to your room... I've got to admit, I'm a little nervous... I mean, heh... If this was a challenge, I could take care of it easy, but Pops never taught me any 'Martial Arts Romance' skills. " Ranma said.  
  
"I don't know what you're thinking, Ranma." Akane teased, smiling. "I just want you beside me to keep me warm. Nothing else is going to happen."  
  
"I guess I can handle sleeping in another place for one night." Ranma said, holding Akane a bit tighter. "This is really nice, you know. Not flying through the air for once, I mean. I really like this side of the whole deal."  
  
"Yeah, it's a bit different when we aren't fighting, huh?" Akane said, smiling.  
  
"Much quieter... And I haven't been in the pond all day, either. Heh... It's good being a guy for a while, for once." Ranma said. 


End file.
